These are some of the top headlines in Bulgarian newspapers on July 15 2008. The Sofia Echo has not verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy.

Politics

- Two information systems would monitor the utilisation of European Union structural funds in Bulgaria, Dnevnik daily said. The European Commission (EC) had to implement the Lothar monitoring system in all bodies for EU funds utilisation in the end of June. At the same time, the Finance Ministry announced a tender for new information system for management and monitoring of the structural funds money, to be called Isun, Dnevnik said.

- Bulgaria would probably avoid the justice and home affairs safeguard clause being invoked in the next EC report on July 23, Standart daily said. The report on Bulgaria would not suggest this step, the newspaper quoted “well-informed sources” as saying.

Social

- Labour and Social Policy Ministry would prepare a ‘grey’ list of companies, which systematically violate labour and social legislation, Dnevnik said. Thus, employers who do not pay the full amount of the mandatory social security insurances to their employees, would not be allowed to submit projects for EU finding.

- Smoking in public would be banned on June 1 2010, according to amendments in the healthcare law, presented to the Cabinet by the Health Ministry, Sega daily said.

- Sofia public transport would implement electronic tickets and passes starting September 1 2008, Sega said. At first, the new system would be used only in trolleybuses and trams; paper tickets would be valid for the underground and buses.

Economy

- Economic growth in Bulgaria could decrease by more than two percentage points on an annual basis if foreign funding decreased, Dnevnik quoted an UniCredit Group report as saying. Bulgaria registered seven per cent economic growth in the first quarter of 2008.